What is mizban?

Mizban is a self-hosted tool that helps app developers share test builds of iOS and Android apps with testers, without relying on a third-party upload service like Diawi. Instead of uploading your app file to someone else's server and getting a temporary download link, you run Mizban on your own server, which keeps you in control of the files with no size limits and no links that expire. The way it works is simple. A developer drops finished app build files.ipa for iOS and .apk for Android, into specific folders. A script then reads each file to pull out its real app name, version number, unique identifier, and icon, and automatically builds the technical pieces needed for testers to install the app straight from their phone: an iOS manifest file that works with Apple's official over the air install method, and a direct download link for Android. A simple web page then shows all the available apps in a grid, lets a tester pick which version they want, and starts the install process for them. One important limitation is worth knowing for iOS. Apple only allows ad hoc test builds to install on devices whose unique identifiers were registered with the developer's Apple account before the app was signed and exported. Mizban cannot get around this Apple rule, since it only solves the separate problem of getting the already signed file onto a phone, not the underlying Apple restriction. The project is built with React, TypeScript, and Vite for the web interface, plus a set of Node.js tools for reading app package files at build time. The end result is a static website with no upload feature and no backend server, so publishing a new build is simply a matter of adding a file, rebuilding, and redeploying, which keeps the whole setup simple to host anywhere that supports HTTPS, a requirement since Apple will not allow installs over plain, unencrypted connections. There is no built in login system, so anyone with the site's address can see and install the listed apps unless the owner adds their own access restrictions. It is released under the MIT license.